Lyoko Online
by Moonlitdaze
Summary: Next Gen. Years after the defeat of XANA, the Lyoko Warriors are now known world-wide for developing Lyoko Online, a VR game that took the world by storm. And no one loves it more than their children. When the game launches its first international tournament, it brings old enemies from the shadows. Enemies older and more ruthless than XANA: Project Carthage.
1. Part 1-1: Adalaide

**Welcome, friends.**

 **So, welcome to Lyoko Online, a plot bunny that got into my head after listening to the latest episode of the Return to the Past: A Code Lyoko Retrospective podcast. (If you haven't listened to them, do it. They're wonderful).**

 **I've seen a lot of second generation fics, but very few have done it for me. Well, except The Ditto Generation, by LavenderMoonlightintheSnow, a mighty wielder of the pen, whose work is just too beautiful.**

 **But, since that fic never finished, I always wanted to fill the hole by writing a second generation of my own.**

 **Now, here we are.**

 **Some things that inspired this fic:**

 **Marie Lu's** _ **Warcross**_

 **Sword Art Online**

 **Ready Player One**

 **Some things to note:**

 **This will touch on the mystery that is Project Carthage and will include elements of my discontinued work Code Lyoko: Punic Wars.**

 **This will be an OC-heavy fic, mostly feature the children of the Warriors, and I will make no apologies for that.**

 **I'm not counting Evolution as cannon, but I will use some elements from it.**

 **This will span multiple points of view, including the original Warriors themselves.**

* * *

Chapter 1.1

 _Adalaide_

Adalaide Dunbar stood in silence, nervously fiddling with the strap of the duffle on her shoulder. Her dad was standing across the lobby, his face unreadable. She took a deep breath, sighing deeply and wondering how she was going to find the strength to go forward. Finally, he broke out into a small smile, waving at her from across the room. That was enough, and her legs were finally moving, despite her heart hammering in her chest. The gap between them was soon bridged, and soon he had her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey, Addie. Good to see you," he whispered in her ear, in English. It was so good to hear _English._ No one here was a native speaker, and so everyone spoke French. And, while Adalaide knew both languages equally well, it was a constant reminder she was not in London, not where she belonged. Her life had been put on hold. No, not on hold. It had been brought into a screeching halt, throwing her dreams out in the wreckage.

"Hi, Daddy."

She didn't like the misty look in his eyes, the way he drank her in like he was going to lose her. "Come on, the rental car's just outside."

She wondered if her dad would give her back her cellphone, which he'd gotten when he signed her out, or if he'd make her wait until they got home. Not that it would matter. All her friends were in London, and she hadn't spoken to them since she'd left.

He didn't give her back her phone, starting the ignition as soon as Adalaide was buckled in. She sighed, looking forward. Her dad had the Subdigitals playing, a band Addie constantly had playing on her MP3, even though they were from her dad's high school days. As "Rodéo" filled the car, she cranked the dial, letting the upbeat song drown the palpable silence plaguing the car. This was going to be a _long_ ride back home.

"Addie," her father killed the music, and when she went to turn it up, he blocked her hand. "We can't ignore this."

"How many times do a I have to say sorry," she grumbled, looking out the window.

"Adalaide," out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. "I don't expect you to say sorry. It won't change anything. But I want you to talk to me, that's all I've ever wanted. Trust me, keeping it bottled up won't help. It didn't help me."

"So let's talk then," she gave a weak shrug, managing a half-smile.

"Good," he nodded, noticeably relaxing. "So, we're actually heading to your Aunt Nadia and Uncle Odd's."

"We're not going home?" Adalaide shifted in her seat.

"No," her dad shook his head. "I took a week off work, figured you'd enjoy a change of scenery. Plus, it's closer much to the Academy than Lyon. It seemed silly to be this close to Paris and have to make the trip twice."

"The Academy?" Adalaide asked, stiffening in her seat. "You mean… _Kadic?_ You enrolled me in _Kadic_?"

"What, did you want me to send you back to London?" his voice was the harshest it'd been since he'd picked her up. "No matter where I enrolled you there, you'd be miserable."

"You could have enrolled me in at a school back home, Dad! Ever think of that?"

"You know people at Kadic," he sighed. "I figured it would make the adjustment better. Besides, it's an excellent school. There are a lot of extra circulars there you'd enjoy. Reconnect with your friends. I'd rather have you here, forty-five minutes from your aunt's farm, which you _love,_ if you don't remember, then cooping yourself up in our apartment and shutting out the world. What happened happened, Adalaide. You can't fix it, but you can move on. Better to do it in a place with some friends."

"What friends? My cousins? The Sterns? The Belpois? Dad, you know ever since I went to London…"

"You were close once," he cut her off. "I mean, it was a war trying to separate you, Akahana, and Françoise. You use to dream about the day you all went to Kadic together."

"Dreams change," she whispered, again turning back to the window.

"You're going to be rooming with Françoise. I've got it all set up. The Sterns only live a few miles off of campus, and your cousins are down the hall from you. I know it'll be a change, and I know it's not what you planned, but…this is the easiest way, don't you think?"

"I guess," she whispered. "Do they…do they all know about…"

"Their parents are my friends," he shrugged. "I talked to them. What they chose to share, I'm not sure."

"I just don't want them to…you know...treat me like…"

"They won't. You them better than that."

She was quiet for a long time, the muffled music from the stereo drifting through the tension. "I was one year away, Dad. Everything was going so well. I would've gotten in. My whole life was on track."

"Well, it's on a different track now. But it's not over," he looked at her pointedly. "And thank God it's not."

* * *

Adalaide had always found the Della-Robbia's farm beautiful. It was a drastic change of pace from the city life she was used to, but after weeks in the clinic, located in a repurposed small country estate, it all just rang unpleasant similar to her last few weeks. She could see the distant outline of the horses, all turned out for the night, in the front pasture as the car made its way up the long driveway. Once they drove past the rings Adalaide's aunt used for her lessons, the house finally came into view.

It was rather substantially sized, a testament to the Della-Robbia's hefty income. It had a clean, white exterior, two floored and with square footage to spare. Ivy grew up the walls, and there was a wrap-around porch, Adalaide's favorite place to spend the summer evenings when visiting.

Her father killed the engine, turning in his seat to look at her. Again, he offered her a small, half-smile. "Ready, Addie?"

She did her best to smile back, nodding slowly, then let herself out of the car. The sun was already setting, the world around them starting to get chilly. Her father got her duffle for her and together they headed to the front door. As soon as they rang the bell, Adalaide her a squeal from inside.

"ADDIE!" a flash of blonde launched through the door, right into a tight hug. The air whooshed out of Adalaide's lungs, and she finally realized who was on the other end. Falkan, the younger of her two cousins, was currently beaming right at her. "I'm so glad you're finally here! I've been waiting _all day._ And Dad and Ember went into the city, so it was _torture._ "Falkan was using English, well aware of her cousin's preference for it. A reason why Adalaide always enjoyed Falkan's company, even if she could be a bit intense.

Two years Adalaide's junior, Falkan was only about an inch or two shorter than her cousin. She'd died the ends of her honey-blonde hair blue, which hadn't been there the last time Addie had seen her. She was dressed as…. _Falkan_ as ever, with galaxy printed shirt tucked into a silvery skirt, a plethora of neon bracelets up her arms, and blue converse boots.

"Falkan, let your cousin breathe."

Adalaide's Aunt Nadia stepped out onto the porch, a cockeyed smile—a Dunbar trademark—on her face. She'd swept back her hair—so black it was almost blue, a color she shared with her brother and niece—and was wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt, topping with an oversized flannel. Her thick-framed glasses were sliding down her face. "Hi, William. Adalaide. Glad to have you."

"Hey, Sis," William went for a hug.

"Odd and Ember are bringing back food from the city. They'll be back soon," Nadia stepped aside to let her guests in.

"Odd is taping a TV interview, right? About the tournament launching," William agreed.

"Tournament?" Adalaide blinked.

Falkan whirled on a heel, green eyes dancing. "Oh, Addie! There is _so_ much I have to catch you up on. I mean, you haven't been logged into Lyoko Online in _months_ , the group seriously missed you. And your skill at taking down Megatanks."

"Falkan, why don't you show Addie where she'll be staying, and then you can go to the barn and show her?" Nadia laughed a little. "Addie, your dad sent ahead your things for Kadic, and they'll be in the guest room with him. Ask me or him if you need anything from the boxes."

"Thanks, Aunt Nad," Adalaide said, though she barely got it out as Falkan was dragging her away.

Adalaide always got nervous when she left her dad alone with one of his friends. Worse still, his sister. She knew lately she'd been the subject of conversation. As she caught the sound of faint whispers, her arms began to pepper with goose bumps.

"You'll be in the second guest bedroom after tonight," Falkan said, and Addie latched onto the distraction. " _But,_ Jeremie and Aelita and I are coming for dinner and staying in there tonight. Since they're bringing Françoise and Akahana with them, we're thinking about having a sleepover in the barn. I spent the whole morning getting it ready. It's why I stayed here instead of going into the city. That, and I wanted to see you before Akahana, Françoise, and Ember start hogging you."

It was all said as a rush of words, with barely a breath in between sentences. Such was Falkan's nature, an inheritance from her father. While it was true Adalaide tended to gravitate to the older of her cousins, Addie did appreciate the younger's genuine spirit.

Falkan threw open the door to Ember's room. The Della-Robbia sisters each had their own space, adjoined by a bathroom, the door of which was always open. The elder's walls were teal—the same color Ember had recently died her hair—and adorned with clippings on magazines featuring avatars from Lyoko Online. From what Adalaide knew, every design featured on the wall was one of Ember's creations.

And it wasn't vanity compelled her to display them. Right under Ember's lofted bed was a work table where she did all her designing for the game. It was a big part of Lyoko Online's appeal: millions of options for customizing your Lyoko avatar. While Ember wasn't the sole designer by any means, her pieces were the most popular, projecting her further into the spotlight than the others of their group. She took her notoriety seriously, and Ember was constantly working to hone her art. The display of her past success was her inspiration.

Adalaide heard barking to her left, and a blob of fur emerged from the bathroom, launching itself at her. Adalaide smiled at the small beagle currently jumping up her leg. "Hi, Lemon."

"See," Falkan scooped up the dog, who wriggled in the girl's arms, tail wagging, "everyone's happy to see you, right, Girl?" Falkan's tone made Adalaide slightly uncomfortable and so did the look Falkan was giving her. A knot formed in the older girl's stomach.

"Why don't you show me the barn, Falk?" Adalaide let her bag slide to the floor.

"You bet!" Falkan beamed, setting Lemon down. "Come on!"

The dog yipped and followed after the girls as they left Ember's room.

"Mom, taking Addie to the barn!" Falkan shouted, her voice catching all the right angles and pinging off every wall.

The small barn—the one the property had originally come with—was just a short walk from the main house. For as long as Adalaide could remember, it had been used as a the Della-Robbia's personal Lyoko Online hub, and therefore had been one of Adalaide's favorite places to be when she visited her aunt and uncle. It was a perfect place to play the game, with plenty of room to make good use of the VR features of the game. And, of course, sleepovers in the barn were quite a common occurrence when Adalaide visited, her common in from Lyon or London occasion enough to get the others in their group out to the farm.

It was just as Addie remembered, the floor covered in wrestling matts to accommodate gameplay. In the repurposed hayloft, several bean bag chairs had been set up in front of a massive screen TV, allowing the barn to double as a media room. Adalaide noticed a stack of blankets and pillows sitting just at the base of the ladder to the loft. And, on the back wall, were the VR suits, which allowed players to be "virtualized" onto the network of Lyoko Online.

Adalaide's stomach dropped, taking in the sleek grey garments, the tiny sensors woven into the fabric. The pull of Lyoko Online, of course, was an immersive experience, a virtual reality game. It encouraged players to be active, their physical movements translating into the game. But, there were VR helmets too, for those who either didn't want to physically fight or for those who couldn't. But Adalaide and her friends had always preferred the "fullest" experience possible. But, now….

"So, what's the tournament about?" Adalaide asked, turning away from them.

Falkan grinned. "It's so awesome! All of our parents are putting on a huge tournament, a sort of race to the finish featuring several new sectors. A lot of which were designed by us, by the way. It'll be a race to the sector's main tower, and each level featuring several waves of monsters. The earlier teams will get an advantage in the next sector, and the last ten percent of teams to finish will be eliminated. It's going to be awesome. This is going to bring out some of the best players out there. Winning team gets a one-year position at Lyoko Industries."

"Wow," Adalaide breathed.

"Of course, we're going to kick everyone's butt. We just have to find one more player, since the teams are of eight, but that won't be a problem," Falkan said, her smile not fading in the slightest. She was already heading towards the suits. "Wanna play a round? I've got a couple quick levels saved. The group's been playing a lot this summer, to get ready for tournament, and since you haven't been virtualized in awhile…"

"Um…you don't happen to have a helmet? My…um…my fighting style is based off of dancing, and… with my knee…" she hated having to say it out loud. Any time she had to acknowledge it, it made her sick. Another outlet forever changed. She dug her nails into her palms, trying to ride out the wave of bitterness coursing through her.

Falkan's eyes grew wide. "Oh, yeah! Duh, there's one in this trunk," she sprinted towards the metal box right under the suits. Paused, turned on a heel. "Does it…still hurt?"

"Uh…sometimes," Adalaide weakly shrugged. "Physical therapy helped a lot. But, uh…yeah, it's never going to be the same."

"Oh," Falkan's voice took on a soft, very un-Falkan-like tone. Gentle, sympathetic. Adalaide squirmed.

Falkan let the lid of the trunk slam closed, and she sat on top of it, frowning. "I'm really sorry about the Royal Ballet School. I know that was your dream."

Adalaide folded her arms, biting the inside of her cheek. She wasn't going to cry. She was past the crying phase.

Then, Falkan gave a tiny smile, bouncing to her feet. "But, at least you get to come to Kadic with us! We really missed you, Addie."

"I missed you guys, too," and that was the truth. The one downside to her life in London, despite how much she'd felt at home there, was that she'd been away from the group. The ones she'd grown up with, played side-by-side with every day. She'd thrown a fit when her father's job moved them to Lyon. And now life had thrown her back here.

"Girls," Aunt Nadia appeared at the barn door. "Dinner's here. Come on into the house, everyone's excited to see Addie."

"Food!" Falkan yelled, barreling right past her mother towards the house. Addie, in spite of herself, laughed.

Aunt Nadia turned to her, clearly debating whether or not she wanted to say what was on her mind. "Falkan was really excited to hear you were coming. Everyone was. They're happy you'll be at Kadic with them."

"It's good to see them," she nodded.

"I know this isn't what you planned, Addie."

"No, it's not," she agreed.

Nadia threw her arm around her niece. "I know this isn't going to make everything better. But, Jeremie has a surprise for you. I know you probably don't want to use a helmet in the tournament, so he's been working on something. New technology that he's picking people to beta test during the tournament. He's going to ask you himself, so you'll have to act surprised, but he wants you to be one of the testers."

"Really?" Adalaide raised an eyebrow.

"Thought it would intrigue you," Nadia agreed. "Now, hurry inside. I wasn't kidding when I said everyone was dying to see you."

"Okay," Addie agreed.

Outside, her uncle's car was parked in the driveway, as well as the Belpois'. Laughter was radiating from the farmhouse, loud enough to be heard even here. She tried to remember the last time she'd spent time with Ember, Françoise, and Akahana. Outside of Lyoko online. Too long.

She really wanted to see everyone.

Adalaide gave her aunt a weak smile, walking forward.

The only direction there was for her to go.

* * *

 **Welp. There ya have it.**

 **Not all the main characters were mentioned by name. I still have a few more to introduce, namely the boys. Let me know if a list/brief character bios would be helpful.**

 **I love hearing from my readers, so review if you wish!**


	2. Part 1-2:Kiren

**Glad to see some of you are enjoying this!**

 **Here is the next chapter, focusing on one of my personal favorites of the Lyoko Online roster.**

* * *

 _1.2_

 _Kiren_

The girls were hogging the couch, all in some sort of strange huddle. Akahanna seemed to be at the center, seated with her knees up, typing away at her smartphone. Françoise, eyes glued to a staff paper notebook, had stretched out, her legs going underneath the tent, and Ember was hanging backwards off the couch, arguing with whoever was on the other end of her wireless headphones. Kiren himself was draped across one of the armchairs, his training playlist playing at a low volume, just enough to drown out the sound of Antoin whispering at his laptop.

A summer reading project lay open in Kiren's lap, as unread as it had been when he'd come in that morning. And as unread as it had been most of the summer. A bowl of mixed nuts was on the coffee table, and he'd been picking at them all morning, trying to force himself to concentrate, but after a few good hours of struggling, he'd gotten fed up and was now just keeping the book open for show more than anything.

This was a fairly usual sight at Lyoko Industries. Employees were more than used to seeing the developers' children camping out in the tenth floor lounge. Of course, the company had been more active than usual lately. Even more so today, with the camera crew coming in to film a special on the tournament. The normally quiet tenth floor was alive that morning, employees and interns running past the lounge at fairly regular intervals, but Kiren had managed to let them fade into the background.

So, he didn't hear the door open, and practically jumped out of his skin when his name was called. He ripped out an ear bud, blinking up at his parents. His mother had tied back her hair, sweat sheening on her face, and his dad was in similar shape, brown hair practically soaked through. They were both in VR suits, the ones that had been custom made just for them.

Akahana was the first one to sit up, toppling the carefully-made pile the girls had been in. "Were you guys just testing the tournament levels?"

Kiren's dad nodded, heading for the mini fridge and routing around for a water. He took out two bottles, tossing one to Kiren's mother. "Everything's running smoothly so far."

"So, you gonna let us take a crack at them?" Kiren smiled, sitting up. His book fell off his chest, out of sight but not out of mind.

"Nice try," his mother smirked. "But, if you're going to enter the tournament, you have to wait like everyone else."

"Well, worth a shot, I guess," Kiren shrugged.

"So," his mother uncapped her water, sitting on the arm rest of the couch, "Aelita and I wanted to head into the city, figured we can make it a girls afternoon. Akahana, Ember, do you like the sound of that? Aelita was also wondering if you wanted to head to the Della-Robbia's with them tonight, Akahana. Since Adalaide is coming in."

"Adalaide's coming in _tonight?_ " Antoin sat up, hazel eyes wide behind his glasses. Kiren tried to hide his smirk.

Kiren's mother nodded. "What do you say, girls?"

"I'm for it," Françoise stood up, stretching. She grabbed the hair band off her wrist, twisting her pink hair into its trademark messy bun. "I need some new decorations for the dorm. Trying to make it comfortable for Adalaide. Ember?"

"Please, like I'd turn down shopping," she laughed, hopping up.

Since theirs was a pretty female heavy group, Kiren was used to his friends and sister going off together without him like this, and he'd long since accepted it. He turned to Antoin, "Looks like it's you and me this afternoon, buddy."

"Actually, uh," the blonde boy rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm helping dad run some last minute calculations. You know, since the programmers are really swamped trying to get stuff ready."

"Oh," Kiren gave a vague shrug. "Yeah. I understand."

"Actually," his dad cut in. "I'm glad. I was hoping you'd grab some lunch with me. Since your mom and I have been so busy testing tournament levels, I feel like I haven't gotten to spend all that much time with you and your sister."

Kiren was suspicious. Not that his parents didn't like spending time with either him or Akahana, but the look his father and mother exchanged right after he mentioned lunch tipped Kiren off. He tried not to look at the barely-read book on the ground. "Sure, Dad. Sounds great."

"So, Ulrich and I are going to hit the showers," Kiren's mother stood up. "And we'll be back here in…fifteen minutes? Be ready to go by then."

* * *

Ulrich took Kiren to one of the family's favorite places, an authentic Japanese restaurant a good twenty minutes from Lyoko Industries building, another red flag for Kiren. There were plenty of places to grab a bite much closer to the building, including a pretty decent cafeteria on the ground floor. Being taken out by just his dad to a place usually reserved for special nights out had Kiren a little nervous.

Kiren had spent the first few minutes after the waiter had brought out food just absently poking at his nikujaga. His dad was watching him closely, probably knowing that Kiren was on to him.

"You might as well get it over with," Kiren finally said, looking his father directly in the eye. Neither Kiren nor Akahanna particularly favored Ulrich appearance-wise, their mother's Japanese heritage dominating their hair color and facial features. But, Kiren liked to think he had a great deal of similarities to Ulrich otherwise, the chief of which being an extreme distaste for difficult conversations.

"Don't be like that," Ulrich sighed, setting down his chopsticks. "I wanted your mother to talk to you about this, she's better at stuff like this, but…" he groaned, leaning back in his seat. "Well, you know how your _Gro_ _β_ _vater_ Stern was when I was growing up, and I don't want you to think…"

Kiren raised an eyebrow. "If you're mentioning your dad, I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Kiren, uh, we both know last school year didn't go…quite how we hoped."

Yep, there it was. Kiren frowned, immediately defensive. "I mean, I passed didn't I?"

"I'm not trying to upset you," Ulrich said, "but you barely scraped by. Four of your teachers emailed your mother pressuring her and me to enroll you in year ten remedial."

Kiren squirmed in his seat, "Dad, I'm really trying, you know I…"

"I know how hard it is for you," Ulrich admitted. "And the school is trying its best to accommodate you, but clearly whatever you've been doing hasn't been working. Something's gotta change."

"Is _Gro_ _β_ _vater_ Stern pressuring you about this? Because I thought his precious Akahana's excellent grades were enough to keep him off our backs."

"This isn't about him, Kiren. It's not about grades at all," Ulrich pinched the bridge of his nose. "It can't be fun for you. I know you've been struggling. You've struggled in school since you started. We're just trying to make it easier on you."

"And, how, _exactly,_ are you going to do that?" Kiren's voice was sharp, and he realized he'd balled his hands into fists.

"You're getting a tutor," Ulrich said, picking his chopsticks, going back to his food. A way to tell his son this was a decision already made, but Kiren wasn't quite content with that.

"A tutor? Dad, come _on._ You think a tutor is going to do me any good?"

"Your mother and I do, actually. Year ten is one of the hardest at Kadic. You're in the _lyc_ _é_ _e_ now."

"I really don't…."

"Yes, you do," Ulrich said. "Because, if you don't, you're not going to be on the football or swim teams, and you won't compete in the tournament."

Silence followed.

Ulrich's expression softened as what must have been utter betrayal spread across Kiren's face. He didn't know all the details, but Kiren knew his father's relationship with his dad had been…rocky, at best. And academic performance had been the center of most of their issues. Deep down, Kiren knew his dad wasn't _trying_ to torture him, but that didn't mean Kiren was going to blindly accept this either.

"You can't be serious," he finally said.

Ulrich shrugged. "But we are. It's for your own good," he leaned forward, his expression grim. "I've seen you carrying around your reading project since the beginning of the summer. How far have you gotten?"

Kiren said nothing, only went back to his food.

* * *

Kiren was silent all the way back to Lyoko Industries, and Ulrich didn't bother trying to push conversation. They parked the car in the underground garage just in time for the girls to be loading into the Della-Robbias' and the Belpois' cars. Odd, Jeremie, and Aelita, as well as Kiren's mother, were standing in a circle by their cars, enjoying their conversation. Evidentially, the interview had gone well. Not that anyone expected otherwise. The general global attitude towards the tournament was nothing short of excitement, particularly since the major events were going to be held on weekends and holidays, accommodating students.

Kiren, however, wasn't really in a celebrating mood after lunch.

Akahanna came up to Kiren, fully aware of her brother's mood, but electing to ignore it. "Falkan texted me while we were out. She said she is thinking about having a sleepover in the barn tonight, maybe play a couple of rounds, make sure Addie hasn't gotten rusty. Deactivate a few towers. Obviously, you're welcome to log in. Antoin's going to join us."

"I'll think about it," which they both knew was Kiren speak for "probably not."

"Okay. Sure," Akahana rolled her eyes. Despite the fact that they were twins, and really good at reading one another, neither sibling really knew how to deal with the other's moods. So, they just steered around each other. As a general rule, the Stern family tended to be pretty pitiful at dealing with each other's emotions.

With that, Kiren said polite but short goodbyes to his friends and his honorary "aunts" and "uncles" and got in his parents' car. Kiren's parents did most of the talking on the ride back, an odd conversation that mentioned the tournament levels without giving away any details to Kiren. When they finally pulled up to their home, Kiren went straight for his room, his stupid summer reading project in his hands.

He glared at the title: _Candide, ou l'Optimisme,_ before willing himself to open the thing. He'd hated it, every second of it. Literature class had been the bane of his existence, and his battle with this book cemented it. As usual, the words refused to stay in the place, frustrating him to the point where whatever was on the page may as well have been straight black lines. After about thirty minutes and a page later, he threw down the book and gave it a kick, letting it slide under his bed.

When Kiren left his room, he could hear his parents talking downstairs, probably about his reaction to their ultimatum. Or maybe he was just thinking too much about it and they were making casual small talk. He jammed his hands in his pockets, heading for the attic, where the family's Lyoko Online set up was located. It doubled as the family's gym, where they practiced martial arts together, or did general workouts, making it the most popular room in the Stern household. Having it all to himself was a rare occasion, one he intended to savor.

He walked over to the wall where the family kept their VR suits—also custom-made—and grabbed his—black and white, like the colors of his Lyoko form—pulling it on over his clothes. He slipped on the eyewear that went with it, the home menu of Lyoko Online popping up before his field of vision.

He checked to see if his friends were logged on playing their game and found them all offline. The Della-Robbias and their guests were probably all sitting down for dinner right about now. Good. He didn't need anyone pestering him. Especially Falkan, the most likely one to do so. Just in case, he chose a closed game, not really wanting any interruptions. As much as he loved his friends, he needed to be alone if he wanted to blow off steam.

He opted on going with Classic Mode—just a simple tower deactivation—picking one of the original four sectors that Lyoko Online had started with. When he made his selection, the VR link kicked in and Kiren found himself fully emerged in Lyoko Online's Mountain Sector.

The terrain was a deep purple, a foggy sky above him. Floating rock formations surrounded him on all sides, supporting the occasional tree. He'd spawned on a narrow stretch of rock, and he knew the tower was at least a decent hike away. Always was.

Kiren's simple jeans and t-shirt had been changed to his Lyoko Form. In the online world, he sported a sleeves black cloak—hood down—and simple black trousers, a white stripe running up the sides, his feet covered in simple foot wraps. A quarterstaff was draped over his back, ready for use against the monsters.

"Hello, Kiren."

Right on cue. Adrenaline was already pumping through his veins.

He turned, taking out his staff. "Maya," he said.

Maya was an AI that served as an NPC for the game, a girl native to Lyoko who was the only one who could deactivate towers. She appeared young, probably a year or two Kiren's junior, and had long red hair that she kept back in a braid. He outfit was a long flowing white gown, a golden armband decorating her left bicep. She had a spray of gold make-up, a sunburst design on her right cheek, but no weapons to speak of. Which was the point. It was the player's job to get her to the activated tower so she could stop "X.A.N.A"—the villain of Lyoko Online—from attacking earth.

"How far is the tower from here?"

"Just a little ways due west," she said. "And we must hurry. Jeremie told me about the attack on earth. Did X.A.N.A truly posses a swarm of hornets?"

Internally, Kiren smiled. All the X.A.N.A attacks were designed by Odd, and Kiren was always amazed by his uncle's creativity. "He did."

 _"Speaking of X.A.N.A,"_ the voice of Jeremie, prerecorded dialogue meant to guide the player, _"he's sending two krabes your way. Better get a move on."_

"Great," Kiren raised his staff. One end hummed with electrical energy, the other came to a beautiful point. "I'm really in the mood to knock some heads around."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kiren spotted the monsters in question as they virtualized on the path right in front of him. The bright-red creatures balanced on their spidery legs, ready for the attack. "Run for cover, Maya," Kiren said, and the AI obediently sprinted for the safety of a rock formation.

The krabes charged, but Kiren was ready. He come in at low-guard, striking up towards his first opponent and sending a charge right through it. The pulse jolted through the krabe, causing it to falter. When the creature's thin legs failed it, Kiren took one end of his staff and jammed it through the target on its head—its weak point. Upon impact, the krabe shattered. Kiren grinned, immediately turning on the other one. "Ready for yours?"

The krabe responded by firing a laser, which Kiren side stepped. He crouched, balancing the staff in his hands, and smirked at the monster. "Flash jump!" he yelled, a surge of energy propelling him upward.

He landed on the krabe's back, having to dig in to the armor to keep on. The krabe bucked, but Kiren held firm, removing his weapon from the creatures back and plunging it into the target. He flash-jumped off the back before the creature exploded.

When the debris cleared, Kiren hooked his staff back onto his back. "Okay, Maya. First wave is taken care of. Jeremie, which way do I go?"

Silence responded, which was not entirely. Sometimes the voice-recognition was a tad lag-y. "Jeremie?"

More silence followed, but Kiren didn't have time to think about it. A low, unfamiliar growl sounded behind him, and he whipped around, coming face-to-face with a pitch-black wolf. Its teeth—metal razors, by the looks of it—were barred, a low snarl in its throat. It looked ready to pounce, but Kiren's mind was running a few-second delay. He'd never seen this type of monster before. He wondered if he was looking at one of the new additions for the tournaments.

Suddenly, a blur hopped in front of him and the wolf was knocked back a good six feet. When Kiren got over the initial shock, he registered a girl—probably one year his senior—crouched right in front of him. She had long brown hair, tied into two tight braids—and with the simplest Lyoko form he'd ever seen. She wore a simple white tank-top and green shorts, coupling it with brown combat boots. She had on black gloves, her fists barred, but no weapon that Kiren could make out.

So how had she….?

 _"What?"_ was all he could say.

She turned on him, revealing intense green eyes.

"Disconnect," she said.

"This is a closed game," he insisted, going for his staff. "Who the heck are you?"

 _"Disconnect."_

"No," he said. "This is my game. _You_ disconnect."

There was a growl from behind the girl, the wolf recovering from…whatever attack she'd sprung on it. "Great," she whispered. But she didn't turn, instead, she gave Kiren a shove in the chest. A _hard_ shove.

And, as he flew backwards, he realized how she'd attack the wolf. Because beneath the gloves, her hands were solid and unyielding. And….metal.

Kiren's world exploded into a flash of pain as he was flung backwards, the force of impact knocking off the eyewear. He barely registered the crash as his body was flung against something hard and unyielding. Lyoko disappeared in an instant, the attack slamming into him as hard as…well, a metal fist. He'd been flung against the treadmill, clear across the room from where he'd started.

A second later, a white-hot throb moved up his arm from the elbow, and he wasn't able to bite back a scream. His ears were ringing, a pounding headache taking hold. The door flung open, barely registering on the edge of his senses.

"Kiren," his mother's voice shouted, and she came into view a second later. She started to get blurry. The whole room did. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Something weird," he managed to croak, black dots rapidly taking over his vision. He then proceeded to throw up right at her feet.

"Ulrich!" his mother shouted, just as he passed out.

* * *

 **This was fun to write, I'm not going to lie.**

 **Also, Kiren is such a mini Ulrich!**

 **I always head cannoned Ulrich as having a learning disability, because I have one, so Kiren's character arc is an exploration of that head cannon. More to come soon!**

 **-Moonlit**

 **Happy read**


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